The school teachers review board have published the recommended pay uplifts for teachers and school leaders.
The Headlines
For September 2020, the STRB recommend the minimum of the MPR is increased by 5.5 per cent and recommend that the maximum of the MPR and the minima and maxima of all other pay and allowance ranges for teachers and school leaders are uplifted by 2.75 per cent.
They have confirmed that from September 2020 the maximum main pay range (MPR) and minima and maxima of all other pay and allowance ranges for teachers and school leaders are uplifted by 2.75%. This is in line with what the unions were negotiating on back in June 2020. This uplift will apply to all four regional pay bands.
They further recommend that the MPR and Upper Pay Range (UPR) points are reintroduced on the advisory pay points. The full report can be found here and goes into more detail about the levels of these pay points for 2020/21. Should these recommendations be implemented, they would expect to see a real-terms increase to all parts of the teacher pay framework, by a significant margin. Their hope is this would benefit all of the teaching professions by boosting its competitiveness.
School Funding
The Spending Round settlement details what funding schools should expect to see for the 2020-21 financial year, the main headline being an increase in funding. The document stresses that they would hope that significant priority is given to teachers pay when school leaders are setting their budgets given the challenges schools are facing in teacher supply. It is acknowledged that each school will have their own individual circumstances to consider therefore it is for the school leaders and governing bodies to make the final decision on what this announcement means for their school.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead the STRB are conscious of the very significant uncertainties about the future state of the labour market and wider economy as a result of COVID-19. It is also unclear how schools will need to operate in the next academic year, and the demands that this might impose on teachers and school leaders. The STRB have confirmed they will therefore need to evaluate the case for further increases to starting pay, and any changes to the pay progression profile for 2021/22 and 2022/23, in the light of the evidence available at that time.
The report also states that there would be benefit in looking in more detail at the role of the UPR and how such a pay threshold should operate alongside consideration of how to better align the pay structure with the key stages of teachers’ careers. There is also a case for reviewing elements of the pay structure for school leaders in the coming years.
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